After the birth of the second twins I did many things differently than after the birth of the first twins. Now I had the experience and no one could teach me anything better!
Relaxed hospital stay
I was looking forward to the 5 days at the hospital. And I was looking forward to a good care and a free time without cooking or cleaning at home. Recovery and a bit relaxing at the hospital? It sounds a little bit weird, but in one or another way it really was.
Feeling good after twin birth
The birth of the second twins was easier. I had no pain at all and I was able to get up very quickly. The strong painkillers which I could pump directly into the infusion I returned quickly. I felt well despite the operation.
5 tips for a relaxed hospital stay
1) Keep the date of the birth secret as long as possible
Only my closest family came to visit me. All other visitors had the chance to come by to my home. So I had some afternoon rest, I could enjoy my two little baby boys, sleeping, doing nothing, reading.
2) Nurses taking care of your babies
At night I was one of the few mothers who could drop my babies to the night care outside my room, so I could sleep for a few hours. Anyway they came to wake you up 1-2 times at night, in order to breastfeed the babies. Even during the day the nurses took some time care of my little ones so I could relax a little bit. You don’t have to worry, you will not miss anything when your babies are away for 1-2 hours! You can enjoy them at home for two more decades, at the beginning even 24/7!
Don’t forget: it is heavy work, pregnancy and delivery. So you have to take care of yourself, your mind and body as much as possible.
3) Do not take personal advice too much seriously
Listen to “well-intentioned advice” but don’t take it too seriously. I blocked immediately with the comment, thank you I know, I already have got twins! I was very amused by the funny looks.
4) Buy a breast pump
I pumped milk from the beginning to stimulate the flow of milk and to protect my nipples. It took a couple of days to get it into the routine and I wanted to avoid an inflammation. I bought the small, handy, mobile Medela Freestyle double breast pump. Therefore I pumped milk as storage and so other family members were able to feed the twins, which did releive me very much.
5) Accept help
On the day of the birth of the second twins, our maid began to work. We were able to hire this young girl through an special organization. An organization who arranges jobs for young people who do not know what they would like to do after school, or do not yet have a job as a trainee.
We had landed with her a lucky hit, she knew what to do and saw the work that had to be done. The girl was also exactly on our wavelength. She was a huge support and we were grateful that she could accompany us for a year. As you can imagine, two newborns and two toddlers aged two are a very big challenge.
When asked what you need for the babies, choose time credits. A care for 1-2 hours by family and friends is worth gold! You can either go to sleep, go to the hairdresser, go shopping or go for a massage. This relaxes mind, soul and body.
Take care and take time for yourself. Enjoy the baby time!
Read my post about the time management when you have got twins or multiples. How do I get enough sleep? Another interesting post is how do I treat a fever in children.